Launch of public consultations on amendments to the Trade-marks Regulations
News Release
February 10, 2018 – Gatineau – Canadian Intellectual Property Office
The Government of Canada is conducting public consultations on proposed amendments to the Trade-marks Regulations through the Canada Gazette, Part I. The period for public comment is 30 days, between February 10, 2018 and March 11, 2018.
The primary objective of amending the Regulations is to allow Canada to accede to the Singapore Treaty, the Madrid Protocol and the Nice Agreement. This will modernize the trademark regime and enable Canada to keep pace with leading international standards and benchmarks. A second objective is to modernize Canada’s trademark regime by updating, clarifying, codifying and improving aspects of the regulatory framework. Together, these objectives will better serve clients, lower costs and improve the ease of doing business.
The proposed regulatory amendments are aligned with the Government’s plan to develop a new intellectual property (IP) strategy to help ensure that Canada’s IP regime is modern, robust and supports Canadian innovation in the 21st century. In addition to amending the Trade-marks Regulations, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is working to amend the industrial design and patent frameworks so that Canada can join the Hague Agreement and the Patent Law Treaty.
We encourage Canadians to provide comments on the draft Trade-marks Regulations, as we finalize the Regulations for publication in Canada Gazette, Part II.
Quotes
“A strong IP system is key to encouraging innovation, attracting investment, and helping businesses succeed in the global marketplace. We encourage Canadians to provide their comments on the proposed amendments to the Trade-marks Regulations.”
– Johanne Bélisle, CIPO’s Commissioner of Patents, Registrar of Trade-marks and Chief Executive Officer
Quick Facts
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Joining the treaties provides Canadian businesses with many benefits. For instance, the Madrid Protocol grants countries access to an international registration system administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization, which would allow Canadian businesses to apply for trademark protection in up to 100 jurisdictions through one application and one set of fees.
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Currently, Canadian businesses wishing to protect their trademarks in more than one country must file a separate application for each jurisdiction, which can require translating their application into multiple languages and paying fees in multiple currencies.
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Participation in these international agreements will also better align Canada’s IP system with our major international trading partners, making it easier for innovative Canadian businesses to protect their IP at home and abroad. It will also help to make Canada a more attractive destination for foreign investments and encourage foreign companies to bring innovations to market more quickly, to the benefit of Canadian consumers.
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